


you just gotta go with it

by 991102



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Friends to Lovers, M/M, prom!!!!!!, the nct tags genuinely scare me, the nth high school au that no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-26 21:15:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18185810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/991102/pseuds/991102
Summary: donghyuck picks up his pen.do not go to prom with mark lee.easy enough.





	1. use code PROM for 15% off of your life span

**Author's Note:**

> hi hehe this is my first nct fic!!!! please be nice to me D;

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> donghyuck writes a list of things he has to do, and one task, in particular, is a lot more time consuming than he thought.

~~_monday_ ~~ _tuesday._

 

donghyuck taps his pen on the table, glaring at the blank page of his journal until words come to mind.

 

a list of names and dates and mental notes orbits around donghyuck’s head in a ring of chaos and calamity, and donghyuck closes his eyes, breathing shallowly through his mouth, willing the dizzy spell away. _focus, donghyuck._

 

_dance practice. remember to text mark, donghyuck. tell him you can’t walk home with him today. no one will notice if you’re a little late, though. you can walk mark home then run back to the school._

 

 _piano recital. those always make you a little anxious, so do those breathing exercises that johnny told you about._ ~~_breathe through your mouth and shit._~~ _ask johnny again. you told mark you would go to the movies with him. text mark. maybe he can come to your recital. bully him into bringing you flowers._

 

_math test. you’re probably going to fail this one, donghyuck. maybe mark will be nice enough to help you study. bribe him with a watermelon. it always works._

 

_prom. find someone to go with._

 

donghyuck’s pen comes to a stand still, ink pooling in one big, black dot.

 

he reads through his list.

 

_mark. mark. mark._

 

when push comes to shove, lee donghyuck always chooses mark lee.

 

this is different, though.

 

it’s not six year old lee donghyuck splitting a chocolate bar in two and handing one half to mark lee because the older didn’t have pocket money; it’s not twelve year old lee donghyuck picking mark lee to join his dodgeball team because no one else would; it’s not fifteen year old lee donghyuck climbing out of his window at two in the morning because mark lee wanted ice cream.

 

this is eighteen year old lee donghyuck making a path for himself—a path that may or may not include mark lee.

 

it was time that things changed around here, wasn’t it?

 

donghyuck picks up his pen.

 

_do not go to prom with mark lee._

 

easy enough.

 

he closes his journal and rests his hands on the cover, thumbing at a rip in the corner.

 

someone who is not mark lee.

 

donghyuck turns to the boy next to him, whining high in his throat until jeno looks at him. jeno mumbles something under his breath about donghyuck having the patience of a rock—which doesn’t make sense, really, now that donghyuck thinks about it, but that’s not the point; the point is that jeno is jeno; jeno is not mark lee. donghyuck decides that that fact alone is good enough, and he doesn’t turn back,

 

“hey, do you want to go to prom with me?”

 

jeno, understandably, doesn’t react.

 

donghyuck clears his throat.

 

jeno looks over his shoulder to glance behind him, and he makes a sound in the back of his throat when he finds the room empty save for donghyuck and himself. he turns his head back so suddenly that donghyuck almost thinks that he’s gotten whiplash. jeno points to himself, head tilted and eyes wide, “are you talking to me?”

 

donghyuck nods.

 

jeno blinks.

 

he slowly closes his laptop, game forgotten, and he narrows his eyes at donghyuck as if he can’t tell if donghyuck is joking or not. the sound effects of jeno losing the round fade and silence falls over them.

 

donghyuck props his elbows on the table and rests his cheek on his hands, waiting for jeno to connect the dots—really, it shouldn’t take this long, but donghyuck supposes that he did drop the bomb out of thin air, so he allows jeno to take his sweet time.

 

jeno opens and closes his mouth multiple times, hands waving around in hesitant motions as if making up his own messy, distressed sign language. finally, jeno seems to come to a conclusion, lips pursed, brows raised, and arms crossed—donghyuck decides that doyoung is rubbing off on jeno too much.

 

“i…” jeno trails off for a split second, struggling to find the right words, then he grimaces, voice almost shrill when he questions: “ _what?_ ”

 

donghyuck sighs, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. he repeats himself with more sass than necessary, maybe, but he only had so much patience, and he folds his hands in his lap. “i _said_ do you want to go to prom with me?”

 

“yeah, i _know_ what you _said_ .” jeno rolls his eyes, pitching his voice high and squeaky, edging into a whine, as if donghyuck sounds anything like that—he doesn’t, as a matter of fact. jeno arches a brow, “i mean, like, _why_? i thought you and mark hyung were going together.”

 

if donghyuck didn’t think the same thing up until—donghyuck glances at the clock—four minutes ago, he would have laughed in jeno’s face. but he _did_ think the same thing, so he can only shrug his shoulders.

 

donghyuck scratches the back of his head, “yeah, well, plans change, i guess.”

 

jeno arches a brow, smile knowing, fit only for someone who knows donghyuck; more so for someone who knows the nature of donghyuck’s friendship with mark—whatever that means. the nature of their friendship was just, well, friendship. it’s not like donghyuck treated mark differently from his other friends, and the same goes for mark. donghyuck and mark are just two bros. chilling. simple as that.

 

so whatever jeno _thinks_ he knows, he’s wrong. totally wrong.

 

“and does mark hyung know about this…” jeno pins donghyuck with an unimpressed look, “ _change of plans?_ ”

 

“not yet,” donghyuck squares his shoulders, refusing to shrink under the pressure of jeno’s doubt, and he shrugs. “but who cares? mark will find someone to go with. i heard that wong yukhei was going to ask him.”

 

“mark will care.”

 

“i’ll talk to him.”

 

“ _donghyuck_.”

 

a challenging grin plays on donghyuck’s lips, “ _jeno_.”

 

jeno doesn’t say it outright, but donghyuck knows that he doesn’t approve of whatever it is donghyuck is trying to do. and donghyuck doesn’t blame him, really.

 

he only conjured up this secret agenda—donghyuck glances at the clock again—eight minutes ago. _he_ doesn’t know what it is that he’s trying to prove by doing this. and donghyuck hasn’t thought far enough to consider the possible consequences and probability of it backfiring, so he doesn’t know how this will turn out, really. all he knows is that it should be done.

 

and one way or another, donghyuck _will_ get it done.

 

if jeno says no, then donghyuck will ask jaemin. if jaemin says no, then donghyuck will ask renjun. he won’t stop until someone, anyone other than mark, of course, says yes.

 

and jeno knows this too.

 

the blonde breathes out a long sigh, and when he locks eyes with donghyuck, he nods. “okay.”

 

♥

 

_thursday._

 

donghyuck bites on the end of his pencil.

 

_talk to mark._

 

and donghyuck _will_ talk to mark.

 

sooner or later.

 

probably later.

 

all that matters, though, is that he will.

 

_soon. as in within the next 24 hours, donghyuck._

 

donghyuck groans.

 

it’s not that donghyuck is avoiding mark or anything. no, that’s childish. donghyuck decides that it wasn’t him purposely dodging mark, it was mark missing his chance to catch up with him. yeah, that’s it.

 

_come on, mark. learn how to walk faster._

 

“why do i have to walk faster?”

 

donghyuck scoffs.

 

_cause you’re fucking slow, mark lee._

 

a moment passes.

 

donghyuck slams his journal shut, closing his eyes in pained defeat as reality sinks in. he doesn’t bother to look over his shoulder. he can feel mark’s presence just fine. the smell of mark’s cologne mixed with sweat and the heat radiating from his body makes donghyuck’s head spin for a second too long, and he prays that mark doesn’t ask what he was writing about in his journal—

 

“what are you writing about?”

 

damn you, mark lee.

 

a chair whines as mark drags it across the floor. donghyuck’s head lolls to the side, and he watches as mark plops down into the chair, now on the opposite side of donghyuck’s desk, and downs a bottle of water. mark wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, “i saw my name.”

 

donghyuck crosses his arms and he points his pencil at mark accusingly, “you said you’d be done at four. you’re half an hour late.”

 

mark giggles, as if all he has to do is smile and squeeze his eyes into half moons and donghyuck will forgive him.

 

(it works. it always does.)

 

“sorry, donghyuck.” mark smiles, and he has the decency to look at least a little bit apologetic, so naturally, donghyuck forgives him. it’s not the smile. it’s the sincere apology. “practice ran a little late because coach made us run laps.”

 

donghyuck wrinkles his nose, “i’ll file a complaint.”

 

mark laughs, “i know you will.”

 

the dorky sound makes donghyuck roll his eyes, out of habit more than anything, and he packs his journal away in his backpack and stands, “i want ice cream.” he looks down at mark and points a finger at him, “and _you_ are going to treat me.”

 

if donghyuck goes home that night and takes out his journal again, no one has to know.

 

_you have to tell mark tomorrow. do it before someone else tells him. it’s not a big deal, donghyuck._

 

♥

 

_friday._

 

“mark.” donghyuck calls his name and mark looks up immediately, attentive almost to a fault. donghyuck wets his lips, mouth suddenly dry, and he almost forgets what he was going to say until wong yukhei himself walks into the cafeteria, laughing at something his friend said. he’s tall and dreamy and donghyuck would bet his life that he’s mark’s type.

 

donghyuck nods in the direction of yukhei, “you should say yes.”

 

mark follows his eyes, but he turns back after noticing yukhei, the tips of his ears turning red. “what?”

 

he feels sick to his stomach. it must have been something in his salad. donghyuck pushes his lunch aside, propping his elbows on the table and watching mark play with his food. “wong yukhei. he asked you to go to prom with him, didn’t he?”

 

mark, bless his heart, drops his spoon and lowers his voice to a whisper, face burning in embarrassment, “how did you know that?”

 

“you’re popular. he’s popular. it’s high school. word gets around fast. renjun told me that it was a grand public gesture. balloons. singing. flash mob.” donghyuck rambles on, listing off on his fingers, prolonging it if only to fluster mark for a moment longer. he bites back a laugh at the look of absolute horror on mark’s face. “really high school musical.”

 

“i hate high school.”

 

“no, you don’t.”

 

“i don’t.”

 

“you should go with him.”

 

“and _why_ would i do that?” mark laughs, looking ready to wave donghyuck off and change the subject until he realizes that donghyuck isn’t joking around. mark straightens his back, squaring his shoulders and cooling his expression as if it will make donghyuck listen to him.

 

(it doesn’t work. it never does.)

 

“i’m going with you.”

 

and the tone of mark’s voice makes donghyuck want to punch him in the face, or run into his arms, or both. it’s with such finality, such certainty, that mark says it, as if nothing could change his mind.

 

donghyuck considers it a challenge.

 

the brunette shrugs, holding his face in his hands, “i can handle myself.”

 

“okay,” mark starts, hesitant, as if he doesn’t know if donghyuck actually wants an answer to that or not. “but i still don’t understand why you want me to go with wong yukhei.”

 

oh, yeah? join the club, mark lee.

 

donghyuck looks around the cafeteria, praying that the heavens will drop an answer in his lap, and it’s just then that he makes eye contact with wong yukhei. it’s not donghyuck that yukhei is looking at, though. it’s mark.

 

yukhei is absolutely lovesick. donghyuck almost wants to roll his eyes, but he’s talked to yukhei once or twice and he’s too nice to spite. he shoots yukhei a smile, not bothering to look at mark as he hums, “yukhei likes you.” and donghyuck doesn’t blame him. he would probably be crushing on mark too if he didn’t know that mark wet his bed once when he was thirteen. probably.

 

“he’s really funny.” donghyuck’s eyes wander back to mark, and he puts on his winning smile. mark couldn’t say no to this smile. “you’d have a good time with him.”

 

mark studies him for a moment, eyes piercing as they drag up and down donghyuck’s face.

 

something glints in mark’s eyes. “i would have a good time with you, too.”

 

donghyuck doesn’t dare to wonder what it could be.

 

mark is watching him. donghyuck doesn’t have to look at him to know it. he can feel the weight of mark’s eyes on him. mark is trying to read him, probably. he was always good at it. he could draw out answers from donghyuck without a single word coming from donghyuck’s mouth.

 

“hyuck, why do you want me to go to prom with yukhei?”

 

_donghyuck doesn’t know._

 

but, like always, it feels like mark does.

 

donghyuck inhales through his nose and exhales through his mouth.

 

“i’m going with someone else.”


	2. i'd say the odds are 50/50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> donghyuck has a physics test to study for, but his mind doesn't seem to have gotten the memo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this chapter is shorter than the last but i just wanted to post something today before my... bad habits... kick in and i totally lose motivation to write!!!!! thank you for the comments ;3; and for bothering to read this??? hehe it made me really happy to wake up to see kudos and hits and so on :D

_monday._

 

donghyuck clicks his pen, tapping it idly on the clean page of his journal as he watches his classmates file into the room one by one. the sun rises high into the sky and shines into the classroom in strong stripes of light. donghyuck complains under his breath. it’s too bright for so early in the morning.

 

he rests his cheek on his hand, still drowsy from a long night finishing math homework and catching up on assigned reading, and he tunes out his classmates’ incessant chatter.

 

_skip lunch. you have to cram for your physics test. you should have studied during the weekend, donghyuck. work harder._

 

_pick up flowers for mom after school. it’s her birthday! this is your time to shine. you’re her favorite child for a reason, donghyuck._

 

donghyuck scratches his temple. he knows he has other things to do today, but nothing is coming to mind. and in the split second that donghyuck looks up from the page in thought, heejin and hyunjin turn around in their chairs to face him.

 

“good morning, donghyuck! you’re here early for once.” heejin chirps. she’s a bit like a cartoon character, really upbeat and animated, and donghyuck likes her the most out of everyone in the class, so he doesn’t protest when she ropes him into the conversation.

 

heejin props her elbows on donghyuck’s desk, and she almost seems to vibrate in her chair in excitement. her eyes glimmer with anticipation, “did you hear?”

 

donghyuck snorts. it must be good news. donghyuck closes his journal and tilts his head in curiosity, “hear what?”

 

heejin claps her hands and grins widely, “wong yukhei and mark lee are going to prom together!”

 

donghyuck bites the inside of his cheek.

 

this was just his luck.

 

“what?” hyunjin makes a face, scratching her head, and she glances at donghyuck hesitantly. donghyuck holds his breath. hyunjin was always the type to know more than she let on, and donghyuck has a feeling that she’s going to say something that will make him dizzy.

 

she juts her chin at donghyuck, “i thought mark turned yukhei down because he was going with donghyuck.”

 

donghyuck winces.

 

god damn it, donghyuck. stop being right all the time.

 

now it’s heejin’s turn to look confused. heejin looks at donghyuck, and she looks at hyunjin, and she looks at donghyuck again. she scratches her head, “huh?”

 

donghyuck shares the same sentiments.

 

“yeah.” hyunjin continues, more reluctant, if possible. at least she has the decency to lower her voice, mindful of the classmates around them who may be listening, “donghyuck and mark are in this…” she trails off, motioning with her hands, “half-friendship-half-relationship.”

 

donghyuck arches a brow, “what?”

 

hyunjin mumbles, more to herself than to anyone, cocking her head to the side, “feelings. donghyuck has feelings that he doesn’t understand, i think. the same probably goes for mark. it’s difficult because they have been friends for so long.”

 

“ _oh_ .” heejin drawls out, eyes lit with realization. lips downturned, she sends donghyuck a look of consolation, clapping a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. “it’s _complicated_.”

 

“it sucks.” hyunjin nods, a look of understanding—donghyuck doesn’t know that there is to _understand_ , though—on her face. she flashes donghyuck a big thumbs up, “relationships are hard, huh?”

 

donghyuck blinks.

 

relationships?

 

“good luck, donghyuck!” heejin grins, “i’m sure things will work out with mark!” and with that, she and hyunjin turn back around and jump into a different conversation with a completely different topic.

 

he doesn’t get the chance to say anything, and really, donghyuck considers it a small mercy because he doesn’t know _what_ to say to that.  

 

donghyuck opens his journal again, pen gliding across the page in messy, angry letters.

 

_you and mark? what did hyunjin call it? half friendship? half relationship? what does that even mean? like you act like a couple?_

 

donghyuck pauses, eyes trained on that one word, and he runs a hand down his face in annoyance. he touches his face again, making a sound in the back of his throat. donghyuck’s face feels unusually warm, like it’s burning, and it takes a second for the realization to dawn on him, but once it does, donghyuck’s heart slams to a stop, shocked into absolute stillness.

 

he, lee donghyuck, is blushing.

 

shaking his head, donghyuck slaps his cheek and wills it to cool down, and he picks up his pen again.

 

_of besties!!!!! a couple of best friends! yeah, that’s it. it has to be._

 

a bitter taste is left in donghyuck’s mouth after he ends the sentence with a period, and it stays long after donghyuck tucks his journal away into his backpack.

 

he ignores it.

 

he ignores heejin and hyunjin’s voices echoing in his head.

 

he ignores mark’s text, too.

 

donghyuck has other things to worry about.

 

like that physics test, for example. he should really start studying.

 

just in case he forgets, donghyuck writes a note on his hand.

 

 _study for your test, lee donghyuck. stop thinking about_ ~~_mark_ ~~ _stupid things._

 

and donghyuck actually does make the effort to drag himself to some place quiet when the teacher dismisses them for lunch; he walks in the opposite direction of the canteen, far enough that he can finally hear himself think.

 

so it has to be the world toying with him when someone finds him in the corner of the library, the part with the big encyclopedias and dictionaries that no one has touched in years, head in his hands and physics notes laying around him in a prayer circle.

 

the chair on the other side of the table moves and a body takes the space.

 

a sandwich and carton of banana milk is placed in front of him.

 

donghyuck doesn’t wonder who it is. he knows it’s mark. who else would care to find him? who else would know that donghyuck always chooses to sit in this particular part of the library? who else would bother him when he’s studying for a stupid physics test that will not matter in five years?

 

no one. only mark lee would care to.  

 

(he’s thankful, though. he’s always thankful that mark cares.)

 

“trying to cram?”

 

donghyuck breathes out a long sigh, not bothering to look up. he rubs his eyes, “trying.”

 

“okay.”

 

and that’s the end of it.

 

donghyuck continues to force as much knowledge down his own throat as he can in the remaining half hour of lunch time, and mark knows that donghyuck can’t focus unless it’s absolutely silent, so he doesn’t bother donghyuck, simply eating his own lunch and scrolling on his phone.

 

(donghyuck is thankful. he’s thankful for a lot of things that mark does, really.)

 

“it’s almost time for class, donghyuck.”

 

stretching his arms above his head, donghyuck groans, closing his eyes in dread. he sighs, “i’m going to fail.”

 

“yeah, maybe.”

 

donghyuck kicks his shin under the table. “this is the part where you say that i’ll do fine and that you believe in me, mark lee.”

 

mark wrinkles his nose, “i don’t want to say that, lee donghyuck.”

 

donghyuck rolls his eyes. he packs his notes away and wills himself to calm down, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth.

 

it’s just a test. it’s not the end of the world.

 

“eat your sandwich, donghyuck.”

 

donghyuck shakes his head, scrunching up his face, “i’m not that hungry.”

 

mark stands with his backpack slung over his shoulder, arms crossed as he stares down at donghyuck, lips pressed in a thin line. “you’re not going anywhere until you take at least one bite.”

 

how cute. he’s trying to be intimidating.

 

“you really want to do this, hyung?”

 

“i _want_ you to eat.”

 

“i can eat after school.”

 

“i want you to do it now.”

 

donghyuck narrows his eyes.

 

mark doesn’t budge.

 

donghyuck caves. he mumbles under his breath as he takes the sandwich and rips off the plastic. he takes a big bite and glares at mark. “happy?”

 

“i’ll be happier once you eat it all.” mark grins, “drink the banana milk too.”

 

it’s only later, once donghyuck is in class and waiting for his teacher to do roll call, that mark sends him a text.

 

_good luck on your test. i believe in you, lee donghyuck._

 

if donghyuck’s heart feels a little lighter, it’s probably thanks to the banana milk.

 

donghyuck places the finished carton in his backpack, smiling to himself.

 

yeah, that’s it.

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think in the comment box below :D i hope u liked this video... plz give it a thumbs up
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/duckjaem)   
>  [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/ongdromeda)


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